As part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations, the Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) of NITI Aayog has launched an inspiring initiative, EmpowHER Biz – Sapno Ki Udaan. This program, in collaboration with New Shop, India’s largest 24/7 convenience retail chain, aims to empower women entrepreneurs in the retail sector by providing essential skills, resources, and opportunities.

The EmpowHER Biz initiative is part of WEP’s Award to Reward (ATR) program, focusing on mentorship, training, and financial support to help women succeed in organized retail. Participants will gain valuable insights into retail management, digital tools, financial literacy, and business development. The program seeks to address key challenges faced by women entrepreneurs, such as societal biases, limited access to financing, and lack of credible networks and mentorship.

Supporting Women Entrepreneurs Across Regions

This initiative will select 50 women entrepreneurs aged 18–35 from Delhi NCR, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat. Candidates will be chosen through an online application process based on specific criteria. Of these, the top 20 participants will receive a full waiver on franchise fees, enabling them to own and operate New Shop retail outlets with minimal financial barriers.

New Shop, known for its extensive network of over 200 convenience stores across 35 cities in 18 states, plans to expand further to key transit hubs, such as airports and railway stations. Through this collaboration, the company aims to support 10,000 entrepreneurs by 2030, strengthening its franchising model to empower first-time entrepreneurs in India.

A Platform for Women’s Empowerment

Launched in 2018, WEP is an aggregator platform incubated by NITI Aayog to support women entrepreneurs across diverse domains. In 2022, WEP transitioned into a public-private partnership model, bringing together over 30 stakeholders from the public and private sectors. The platform addresses critical challenges through pillars such as access to finance, market linkages, training and skilling, mentoring, compliance assistance, and business development services.

The EmpowHER Biz initiative builds on WEP’s mission to create scalable and impactful programs for women entrepreneurs. The ATR framework, introduced in 2023, has enabled stakeholders to implement dynamic programs that cater to the unique needs of aspiring women entrepreneurs.

Voices of Leadership

“EmpowHER Biz is our most ambitious ATR collaboration so far,” said Ms Anna Roy, Principal Economic Adviser, NITI Aayog, and Mission Director, WEP. “By partnering with New Shop, we aim to address key barriers faced by women entrepreneurs and provide them with a robust foundation for their entrepreneurial journey.”

Aastha Almast, Co-founder of New Shop, echoed this vision, stating, “Our collaboration with WEP is a step towards democratizing retail ownership. By offering comprehensive support, we aim to create lasting impacts on the entrepreneurial journeys of these women.”

Driving Change Through Collaboration

This initiative exemplifies the power of public-private partnerships in driving social and economic change. By equipping women entrepreneurs with resources, mentorship, and financial support, EmpowHER Biz aims to create a thriving ecosystem of women-led businesses, contributing to India’s economic growth and empowerment goals.

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